Braves outlast Dodgers in Game 1 of NLCS

ATLANTA — Last fall, the Dodgers played the postseason successful a bubble. This year, they are playing it successful a telephone booth.

After a wild-card crippled that went into the ninth inning tied and a Division Series Game 5 that, yes, besides went into the ninth inning tied, the Dodgers opened the NL Championship Series with the Atlanta Braves successful likewise adjacent quarters.

Game 1 connected Saturday nighttime went into the ninth inning tied. But the Braves came done with the heroics this time. Austin Riley’s RBI azygous disconnected of Blake Treinen drove successful the winning run, giving the Braves a 3-2 walk-off triumph and the aboriginal vantage successful the best-of-seven series.

Game 2 is Sunday astatine 4:30 p.m.

Explaining his determination to fto Max Scherzer remainder different time and effort to triumph Game 1 with a conga enactment of relievers from the bullpen, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said earlier the crippled that helium was “confident we tin forestall runs.”

As it played out, the Dodgers were so precise bully astatine preventing runs – adjacent erstwhile they were connected offense.

They took the archetypal pb with a two-out tally – which indispensable person felt to the Braves similar a callback to the 2020 NLCS – successful the 2nd inning.

After the archetypal 2 batters were retired by Braves starter Max Fried, AJ Pollock doubled to close center, his erstwhile platoon-mate Joc Pederson taking a mediocre way and failing to chopped disconnected the shot earlier it got to the gap. Chris Taylor drove him successful with a single.

Their 2nd tally was much nonstop – a leadoff location tally by Will Smith successful the fourth.

“Opener” Corey Knebel surrendered a tally connected a chaotic transportation successful the archetypal inning. Other than that, the Dodgers’ stat-o-matic pitching strategy seemed to beryllium working. Knebel, Phil Bickford and Justin Bruihl combined to discontinue 10 consecutive batters, 7 of them connected strikeouts, and Tony Gonsolin made it 11 erstwhile helium came successful and got Ozzie Albies to alert out.

But Riley ripped a wayward fastball into the near tract seats to necktie the score, 2-2, successful the fourth.

The Dodgers had opportunities to interruption that necktie successful the seventh and ninth innings but didn’t.

If their pitching program was a new-age construction, the Dodgers turned to an old-school maneuver to acceptable up the scoring accidental successful the seventh.

Taylor blooped a leadoff treble implicit the caput of Braves archetypal baseman Freddie Freeman. Pinch-hitter Austin Barnes bunted – gasp – him to third. But neither Mookie Betts (a popular retired to Freeman) nor Trea Turner (strikeout) could get Taylor the last 90 feet.

That near the Dodgers 1 for 8 with runners successful scoring presumption successful the crippled and 4 for 33 since a little breakout successful NLDS Game 2.

In the ninth, Taylor drew a two-out locomotion disconnected of the Braves’ Will Smith. Pinch-hitter Cody Bellinger laced a azygous implicit the caput of 2nd baseman Albies into close field.

Looking to spell archetypal to third, Taylor raced astir 2nd basal – past changed his caput and slammed connected the brakes. He was caught successful a rundown and an casual retired to extremity the inning.

Having utilized Kenley Jansen successful the eighth, Roberts sent Treinen retired for the ninth. He struck retired Freeman to commencement the inning but Albies dropped a pop-up into shallow halfway tract for a azygous past stole 2nd base.

Riley lined an 0-and-1 slider into near tract for the walk-off hit.

More to travel connected this story.

Austin Riley wins it!!! #Walkoff pic.twitter.com/fjwi3xfo6M

— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2021

A chaotic extremity to the apical of the 9th! 😱 pic.twitter.com/24ZLeIsoLp

— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2021

A two-out rally ties this crippled astatine 1. pic.twitter.com/Cy05byp3Lu

— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2021

Big Hit Will. pic.twitter.com/ndkW4NBRhF

— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2021

Fire the laser!

Austin powers 1 out! pic.twitter.com/23KdmEwWgd

— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2021